The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced Tuesday it is offering eligible faculty and staff a voluntary retirement buyout with a one-time payment equal to 50% of an employee's annual base salary.

UW-Oshkosh becomes the third campus within the UW System to offer buyouts in an effort to reduce its workforce in the face of state budget cuts. UW-Eau Claire was the first, followed last week by UW-Superior.

UW-Oshkosh expects about 100 employees would be eligible. It has set a goal of reducing its workforce by 80 within the next three years.(59)

Packers FB Ina Liaina: 'I’m here to compete'

Green Bay — It’s not easy being a fullback in 2014. From the back locker room, Ina Liaina is a realist.

The Green Bay Packers are one of the rare NFL teams that still includes his position, and yet they re-signed veteran John Kuhn.

He doesn’t have a heck of a lot of time to make an impression.

“It’s kind of tough for a fullback,” Liaina said. “Luckily, Green Bay carries one. John’s a veteran, a Pro Bowl guy. He’s really good so we’re going to see how it turns out. But I’m here to compete.”

Rookie camp wasn’t only for rookies. A handful of second-year players participate as well. This will be an uphill summer for Liaina with the Packers re-signing Kuhn over the off-season. This 6-foot, 250-pounder is the 24-year-old challenger to the 31-year-old Kuhn. He spent last off-season with the Miami Dolphins, and prior to that four years at San Jose State.

In college, Liaina played in 43 games (13 starts), finishing with 54 carries for 150 yards (2.8 avg.), 14 receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns.

He knows what he’s up against. Kuhn’s value to the Packers was evident in a must-win at Dallas (providing a key block on Eddie Lacy's 60-yard run to open the second half) and then against in the Week 17 de facto NFC North title game. Next to Aaron Rodgers, probably no one knows the offense better than Kuhn.

“I have a lot to prove going up against John,” Liaina said. “John knows every position on the offense, so it’s kind of tough for me. I don’t know if I can memorize all that right now. I know my assignments for now, so that’s good enough for me until I get the hang of it.”

Kuhn has held off competitors before. Possibly Liaina offers a more mashing option at fullback.

Faced with a first and goal from the 49ers' 9-yard line in the postseason, Green Bay settled for a field goal and was eliminated the next possession. That series, Mike McCarthy had receiver Randall Cobb run the ball on a carry. Liania, who ran the 40 in 4.83 and bench-pressed 225 pounds 22 times at the 2013 combine, was a block-first fullback in college. He might be a good fit with the rugged Lacy.

Initially a linebacker at San Jose State, Liaina moved to fullback halfway through his first year.

“They put (Kuhn) in at running back, too because he knows the offense like the back of his hand,” Liaina said. “That’s kind of tough for me, so I have to get into the book. I just have to show what I can do. I can catch the ball. I can run the ball. I can run routes. Much like what John’s doing now.

“I like hitting, so we’ll see.”

No wonder Liaina says he was lucky enough to get an opportunity to make the team.

Teams across the NFL continue to replace the fullback with a third wide receiver or second tight end on the field. Seeing recent teams in the Super Bowl that use a fullback — Seattle, San Francisco, Baltimore — does give Liaina a ray of hope.

To him, there's still a value in the sledgehammer fullback.

“A lot of teams use that one-back set,” he said. “But I like to go back to that old school, that downhill run, you know? Smash people in the mouth. Run downhill.”

He’ll hang on as long as he can. In Green Bay, Liaina will need to stand out when the collisions begin.

“We can’t show anything until we get the pads on,” he said. “So we’ll see.”

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.